Takeaways: Timberwolves’ sloppiness costly in 110-105 loss at Houston

If you are the kind of fan who gets mad when NBA players miss free throws, Timberwolves-Rockets was not for you.

Neither team wanted to hit its free shots all game, and the loser was going to regret those missed points. It turned out to be the visiting Wolves, who lost 110-105 on Friday, Jan. 16.

The Wolves finished 20-for-35 at the line while Houston was 20-for-34. The Wolves also committed 16 turnovers overall. They wasted a strong offensive night from Julius Randle, who finished with 39 points. Naz Reid added 25 off the bench.

Kevin Durant had a season-high 39 points for Houston, 14 in the fourth quarter. Now the Wolves head to San Antonio to complete a back-to-back.

“Too many mistakes in the fourth,” Wolves coach Chris Finch told reporters in Houston.

The Wolves’ record without Anthony Edwards is now 5-4 as the All-Star guard continues to deal with a lingering foot injury. The second half was sloppy for the Wolves, who committed eight turnovers in the fourth.

In Milwaukee three nights earlier, the Wolves had contributions up and down the lineup in one of their best offensive nights of the season. But the issue with playing without your best scorer is the rest of the team isn’t as consistent.

The Wolves’ sloppiness on offense was what sunk them when it came to turnovers and free-throw shooting. Rudy Gobert was 2-for-10 from the line, including a couple of airballs. Gobert is shooting 53% from the line this season after shooting 67% last season and 64% for his career.

The Wolves were controlling the first quarter until Reed Sheppard checked in for Houston and drilled three consecutive threes. The Wolves led by as many as 12 but only led 55-53 at the half.

Both teams shot 43%, with Reid scoring 17 off the bench. The Wolves shot 7-for-21 from three-point range compared to 7-for-13 for the Rockets.

“We had great pace and we slowed down as the game went along,” Finch said.

BOXSCORE: Houston 110, Wolves 105

A clock malfunction, a delay to clean up blood from Reid and many fouls caused the third quarter to last 44 minutes. During the third, the Rockets took their first lead of the night as the game went back and forth. Fouls plagued the Wolves; they committed 11. Gobert entered the half with none but picked up three in the first few minutes. McDaniels went to the bench with four.

Houston couldn’t take advantage at the line (8-for-15) while the Wolves were 6-for-11. Randle had 17 in the quarter for the Wolves.

Even with Gobert back from a one-game suspension, rookie center Joan Beringer remained a part of the rotation. Beringer took the floor toward the end of the first quarter but didn’t score in 6 minutes, 33 seconds.

Finch said the team might have to go with a triple big lineup of Beringer, Randle and Reid in order to make it work, and that’s what he went to in the first quarter.